Psalm 126:1-6
A song of ascents.
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.
Mark 15:21-41
The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus,was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.
27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. [28] 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!”31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
It seems as man we get very accustomed to a daily routine...Many of us spend much of our times in a daily routine and we do these similar things day in and day out...Since we do things regularly, we get into our own personal comfort zone...But suffering has a way of pushing us out of our daily routine, and out of our comfort zone and out of this routine...And sometimes it can take quite some time to get back to a normal routine...
But even recognizing that suffering takes us out of our comfort zone, the knowing and the recognition of that does not help us (so much), when the pain and suffering actually come...When the pain and suffering comes we look for something to hold on to...We look for something that makes sense...
The Psalmist said those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy...Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them....From weeping to songs of joy...Those who hope in the LORD see this paradox of life...They see a tortuous suffering crucifixion, and yet an event that God would send His Son to save mankind from our sins...A Son's death and from this death to life...So the crucifixion is also a glad sign and symbol also a time of this Great Hope...A sign of Great Suffering to Great Savior...